


Bumps, Bribes, and Bicycle Rides

by iwritetrash



Series: Stormpilot One Shots [24]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Bikes, Finn is not a child, Finn knows shit, Finn teaches Poe to ride a bike, In which Poe cannot ride a bike, M/M, Poe Dameron/Finn Fluff, Stormpilot, pure fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-09
Updated: 2016-08-09
Packaged: 2018-08-07 18:50:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7725817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iwritetrash/pseuds/iwritetrash
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>"Come on Poe, get on the bike." Finn's tone had shifted into exasperation now. "What's the worst that could happen?"</i>
</p><p>
  <i>"Just look at the thing, Finn! The structural integrity is dreadful - you could snap it in half with your bare hands -  and don't even get me started on the balance. That flimsy thing can't even stand up alone, let alone support a human being. It's a hazard on wheels!" Poe exclaimed.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>"But flying a metal death box 30,000 feet in the air, supported purely by the laws of aerodynamics, is perfectly safe." Finn deadpanned.</i>
</p><p>Or the one where Poe can't ride a bike and refuses to learn, while Finn does his best to coax him into giving it a try.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bumps, Bribes, and Bicycle Rides

**Author's Note:**

> Okay I know it’s been a while since I posted, but I’m back with a quick drabble inspired by my time away. While I was away I did a lot of cycling (I went to Holland which I suppose makes it pretty much mandatory) and as I was cycling I began to wonder about Finn and Poe. And this little idea popped up. So I present to you: Bumps, Bribes, and Bicycle Rides. Enjoy!

"Come on, Poe." Finn sighed, glancing over at the sullen man beside him. Poe was stood with his arms folded over his chest, glaring at the bike propped in front of him.

"Nope." Poe shook his head. "No way. Not a chance. Nien. Non. Nada. Niet. NO." Poe's head shook with each word as he muttered in the various languages he had picked up over the years.

"Poe, you won't know until you've tried it." Finn attempted calmly.

"I have tried it. And it was awful."

"You tried it, what, 20 years ago?" Finn rolled his eyes. "You might be better at it now."

"26 years ago but whatever." Poe grumbled. Kes and Shara had tried to coax Poe into cycling when he was 6 years old, but Poe's cycling career had come to a tragic end when he fell off not thirty seconds after mounting the bike and broke his arm after landing at an unfortunate angle.

"Come on Poe, get on the bike." Finn's tone had shifted into exasperation now. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"Just look at the thing, Finn! The structural integrity is dreadful - you could snap it in half with your bare hands - and don't even get me started on the balance. That flimsy thing can't even stand up alone, let alone support a human being. It's a hazard on wheels!" Poe exclaimed.

"But flying a metal death box 30,000 feet in the air, supported purely by the laws of aerodynamics, is perfectly safe." Finn deadpanned.

"That's different, I've been flying my whole life!" Poe protested.

"You could have been cycling your whole life if you hadn't given up so easily." Finn teased. "Come on, don't tell me you were perfect at flying right away?"

"No, but-"

"See, you just need to practice." Finn grinned, content that he had made a strong point.

"How did you even learn to cycle anyway?" Poe grumbled.

"Don't try and change the subject, Poe." (The Order liked it's 'troopers to be skilled in a variety of methods of transportation) "Now you're going to stop being a baby and try cycling, or no cuddles for you." Finn tried a new tactic. Poe's face fell momentarily, before his expression shifted to indignance.

"Fine." Poe replied as cooly as he could manage.

"No sex either." Finn tried, growing desperate. He received the same, strained response. "And I'll convince the cooks not to give you any nice food. You know they love me." Finn had developed a close relationship with the mess staff because of his intense appreciation for new food when he first arrived - a direct contrast to the bland gruel he had been forced to choke down back in the Order. The kitchen staff had even given him a full taster session where he tried various dishes from across the galaxy (he'd never tell them but he much preferred Poe's cooking from Yavin IV, not that he was biased or anything). It was safe to say they'd probably take his side on this one.

Poe stared Finn down for a moment, gauging how likely it was that Finn would actually go through with it, or if he was just bluffing. Finn cocked an eyebrow, and Poe huffed. Serious it was.

Poe gnawed on his lip, glaring at the bike as though it was a conscious entity that would notice his fierce gaze and apologise before hurrying out of his way. The bike, however, did no such thing.

Eventually Poe relented: "Fine, but you'd better bargain for an extra cookie for me tonight. And there will be lots of sex. And cuddling." Finn's face lit up in a grin and he grabbed Poe's hand and pulled him over to the bike.

"Okay get on," Finn gestured to the bike. Poe shot him an uncertain look before climbing on. The bike was about right for his height, seeing as it was Finn's (though Finn always revelled in the extra inch he had on Poe), so Poe's toes just rested on the ground. Poe supported himself uncertainly on the bike, using his heel to push up the kickstand like he'd seen Finn do a thousand times as he cycled around the large, sprawling base. "Now just put one foot on the pedal and push off. As you do, bring your other foot to the next pedal and carry on."

"Are you sure this is safe?"

"Yes Poe. I'll hold the back of the seat and run behind you if you'd like." Poe nodded quietly, his expression so solemn that Finn had to bite back a grin.

"Are you sure we can't attach some training wheels?"

"You won't need them, Poe, trust me." Finn took up his position at the back of the bike, hand resting on the seat to keep Poe steady. "Ready?"

After a moment of hesitation Poe replied. "Um, yeah."

Finn waited for a moment before speaking. "Poe?"

"Yeah?"

"You're not moving."

"Oh, right."

"Poe?"

"Hmmm?"

"You're still not moving." Finn was close to laughing at Poe's reluctance. Who would have thought that the best pilot in the resistance would have been afraid to ride a bike? "Do you want me to get you started? I can push you, as long as you promise to pedal afterwards."

"Yes please." Poe said, sounding relieved.

"Are you ready then?"

"Ready as I'll ever be?"

Finn gave the bike a small push, walking forwards with it along the soft grass. They were a little way off base, in a small clearing in the thick woods that wrapped around the base, allowing them a small portion of peace - something that was rare in the constant hustle and bustle of the Resistance.

"You realise that you actually need to pedal, Poe?" Finn huffed, ten seconds after he first started pushing. He was strong, but pushing a fully grown man and bike in D'Qar's slightly-stronger-than-starkiller Gravity was proving challenging for his recently healed back, pulling at the scar tissue and weakened muscles.

"Oh, um, sorry." Poe tentatively pushed the pedals, giving the bike a small push forwards. He tried the motion again, and then again, until he was pushing the pedals with fluid motion, instead of the jerky stop-start pushes he'd been using before. Finn's hand rested on the back of the seat to steady Poe's somewhat wobbly steering as he turned to the left at the edge of the clearing.

"You're doing really well, Poe," Finn reassured the older man in the same way one might reassure a child, though he tried to keep his voice supportive instead of condescending.

"Really?" Poe asked, voice uncertain.

"Really." Finn confirmed, as Poe began to circle the edge of the clearing. Finn lifted his hand off the back seat a little, so it was hovering near by, should Poe need the extra support. Then Finn dropped back a little so he was jogging close behind, then a little further back so Poe was cycling entirely independently.

"This isn't half bad!" Poe called back to Finn after another minute, his confidence growing as he cycled.

"I told you!" Finn grinned. "I haven't even been holding the bike for the past couple of minutes."

"WHAT?" Poe shrieked. His good mood shattered, as did his concentration. Poe wobbled on the bike and fell almost instantly, landing on the grass with the bike on top of him.

"Are you okay?" Finn called out, hurrying over. He received a muffled groan by way of reply, and doubled over laughing as soon as he reached Poe. He was sprawled out on the ground, the bike resting harmlessly across his chest, eyes pressed shut, arms and legs splayed out at all the normal angles.

“It's not funny, Finn, this is your fault." Poe grumbled and Finn bit his lip to hold in another laugh at Poe's grumpy indignation.

"No, of course it's not funny." Finn's voice was light with barely contained laughter, his face split into a broad, uncontrollable grin, despite his attempts at solemnity. Finn lifted the bike carefully off of Poe's chest, carefully disentangling it from where it still rested between Poe's legs, and propping it up against a tree a few meters off. Poe probably wouldn't riding it again any time soon. In the mean time, Poe had gingerly propped himself up on his elbows, and held out an expectant hand to Finn when he returned.

“I am never touching that thing again.” Poe gestured to th bike with his outstretched arm, before turning back to Finn. “Help me up?" Poe asked, and Finn chuckled, before reaching out to pull Poe up. Before he could pull the older man to his feet, however, Poe tugged on Finn's arm, pulling him down to the ground and sending him sprawling on the grass next to Poe.

"Poe," Finn whined as he rolled from where he's fallen on his stomach to lie on his back instead, "that was so not fair." Poe ignored him, laughing manically at Finn's mildly comedic fall.

"I'm sorry," Poe said breathlessly between bouts of laughter, "Actually fuck that, I'm not sorry." Poe added as an afterthought, before continuing to laugh.

"Laugh all you want, but cuddles and sex are officially off the table, as is your cookie." Finn shot Poe a fake, apologetic smile. Poe's face dropped, his laughter stopping near-instantaneously.

"But- but you promised?"

"Hmmm, did I?" Finn brought a finger up to tap his chin, frowning as if in thought. Poe flicked back through their conversation and cursed himself. Damnit, he didn't.

"Finn." It was Poe's turn to whine now, his face pulled into an adorable pout.

“Poe.” Finn responded mockingly, his face fixed in a pout of his own.

It was then that the idea dawned on Poe, a wicked smile spreading across his face.

“Okay then, Finn. That’s how you want to play it?” Poe grinned at him, rolling up onto his knees and crawling a little closer. Finn looked over at him, a little wary, but for the most part looking amused.

Poe crawled in Finn’s direction as Finn propped himself up on his elbows, watching Poe with a small smile. He had some vague idea of what Poe planned to do, but he didn’t flinch away when Poe straddled him.

“I didn’t want to do this…” Poe positioned his hands over Finn’s ribs, fingers curled like claws.

“You wouldn’t,” Finn played along for Poe’s sake, and Poe grinned at him.

“Oh, but I would.” Poe smirked, before moving his hands down and tickling Finn mercilessly. Poe was surprised, however, when Finn lay completely still under his hands. Poe tried again, moving from his stomach to his neck, then his armpits, then his feet (which did involve tugging off Finn’s shoes and socks) in a desperate attempt to find a weak spot.

“Oh, did I forget to mention that I’m not ticklish?” Finn asked innocently, “My bad.” he shrugged, and Poe glared at him, still straddling Finn as he did. In one quick movement Finn flipped them so that Poe was now lying under him, entirely at his mercy. “You, on the other hand…” Finn’s hands roamed along Poe’s chest teasingly.

“Please don’t,” Poe pleaded, his grin having faded the moment his plans to tickle a surrender out of Finn failed.

“Jess told me you’re really quite the squirmer.” Finn’s smile turned devilish as he dug his fingers into the soft skin under Poe’s ribs, causing him to thrash, his breath coming out in gasps of laughter.

“Finn, stop, please!” Poe gasped out. Finn paused for a moment, offering him respite, before tucking his fingers into Poe’s armpits and tickling him there instead. “Finn, please!” Poe squirmed under his hands.

“I’m sorry what?” Finn asked innocently as his hands tried back down to Poe’s stomach.

“I surrender!” Poe yelled after another bout of tickling.

“Sorry, I couldn’t quite make that out.”

“I’m sorry!” Poe gasped, and finally Finn’s fingers stilled, lifting from his stomach. Poe relaxed back into the ground, desperately trying to slow his erratic breathing.

Finn rested just above him, admiring the lovely column of Poe’s neck, exposed by the way he had flung his head back against the earth. It was hard to resist such a lovely expanse of skin…

“Don’t you dare.” Poe mumbled, lifting his head just a little to look up at Finn, eyes half closed, expression dead serious.

“i wasn’t going to tickle you…” Finn muttered.

“Yes you were.”

“Yes I was.” Finn answered guiltily. Poe laughed and pulled Finn down so they were lying side by side, as opposed to Finn straddling Poe. Poe grinned, turning his head to face the younger man, taking in the beautiful way the colour of his skin contrasted with the green grass, the light from the now setting sun casting shadows on his face that only served to accentuate his flawless cheekbones and strong jawline.

“I love you.” Poe whispered, with a reverence that only came in the presence of somebody so decidedly, inhumanly perfect.

“Why do you say it like that?” Finn asked quietly.

“Like what?”

“Like a prayer.”

“Because, for me at least, every time I say it, it’s like I’m asking for more time. More time for us to be together, more time for me to love you.”

“We have all the time in the world.” The corners of Poe’s lips tilted up in a smile, and Finn yearned to press his own lips against that beautiful smile.

Finn shuffled a little closer, close enough that each could feel the other’s breath washing gently over their faces, and twined his arms around Poe’s neck as best he could while lying down.

“I’d tell you I loved you too,” Finn began, and Poe’s smile dropped into a frown, “but since you won’t get back on the bike…”

“You little shit.” Poe narrowed his eyes, as Finn rolled away and clambered to his feet. Poe mimicked his actions, glaring at Finn as he pulled himself upright. Finn flashed him a grin, before dashing to the other side of the clearing. “Oh you’re in for it now.” Poe chased after him, and eventually caught the younger man. Finn might be stronger, but Poe was definitely faster.

Poe’s arms wrapped around Finn’s waist, the two of them grinning like madmen, their laughs echoing around the clearing.

“You still want to make me get on the bike now?”

“Believe me, flyboy, I’ve got a lot more on you than you have on me.”

“Oh yeah?” Poe asked, but as he wracked his brain for some kind of comeback he came up blank. Finn took this opportunity to break away from Poe, taking another sprint across the field where he grabbed the bike and wielded it like a superstitious person might hold a crucifix to a vampire.

“Stand back, Dameron. I have a weapon.” Finn yelled and Poe laughed, before clutching at his chest, playing along with Finn’s antics.

“Oh stars, you’ve found my weakness,” Poe fell to his knees for dramatic effect, “Please, mercy, mercy!” The two of them cackled at the game, before Poe left to his feet to chase Finn, who dropped the bike and ran like it was a Diplopod behind him instead of his boyfriend.

The pair didn’t stumble back to the base until the sky had long since gone dark, the sky illuminated with the light from D’Qar’s two moons, the cool night air filled with the echoing sounds of their laughter.

Finn rode the bike back to the base, Poe jogging to catch up, and Finn taunting him mercilessly from behind. Finn even managed to coax him back onto the bike a few days later, but when he crashed into a tree and cut his arm it was decided that bikes were bad luck, and simply not for Poe Dameron.

Poe attempted to swear Finn to secrecy about the bike incident, however after a spat over whose turn it was to make the post-sex run to the mess for some food, the entire base was buzzing with the news that Poe Dameron, renowned for being the best pilot in the Resistance, was unable, afraid even, to ride something so small as a bike.

**Author's Note:**

>  _Warning!_ This has not been beta read, so please be gentle. There may be a couple of mistakes here and there, but I really wanted to post something because I felt bad for leaving it so long. But I really hope you liked this! I’ll try and edit it properly sometime tomorrow  <3


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